Two Queens
by Yuzuru's-Angel
Summary: After suffering from a heart failure, Hisako finds herself at Yamaku Academy. There, she meets several interesting girls, namely the frail, anxious Hanako. Hisako decides that Hanako can change for the better, and decides to help her. Hisao as a Girl. FxF. Please Read and Review!
1. Prologue: Broken

**Two Queens**

**Hello hello everybody! Just completely finished Katawa Shoujo, and, man, am I PUMPED to start writing Fanfictions for it!**

**This first involves Hanako, the first path I did, and my favorite over all. She's always been my favorite, since two years ago when I played the unfinished version!**

**Summary: An alternate story to Katawa Shoujo. Hisako Nakai's heart failed one day when her crush admitted her feelings to Hisako. Now, she finds herself at Yamaku, where she tries to adjust, while meeting many interesting people. Namely, Hanako, whom Hisako decides to befriend. When she realizes that Hanako has a difficult past, Hisako decides to become closer to her...**

**WARNING: Yuri ahoy! If you don't like, don't read it! Simple as that! Also please note, this first chapter may be a bit short, since it is the Prologue.**

**~ALSO~: The main difference between Hisako and Hisao is that Hisako is a bit more shy, and ont quite as clueless as he was. You may notice lots of similarities in the story, but I'll try and change it up!~**

**Now~! Please Read, REVIEW, and Enjoy!~~**

* * *

><p><strong>Prologue - Broken<strong>

As the cool, chilling wind overcame me, I stopped and took it all in. It was my first day in months to be out of the hospital...So why didn't it feel good?

Oh, that's right. I wasn't going back to my old, familiar life. I was heading off to a school that was actually a concealed hospital, where I'd be watched every second of the day, and the taking my long list of medications would become a daily practice...

A freak school. That's what it was. For those of us that are different. I guess don't blame my parents for sending me here. I mean, who would want to be around a daughter who could fall over and die at the slightest bit stress?

The thing that got me the most was the looks in their eyes. It was of pity more than love or concern. They felt _sorry _for me. It wasn't only them, too. My friends tried to conceal it, but it only made it more obvious...

Then there was Iwanako. We had been the best of friends for as long as I could remember, and I couldn't stop myself from wanting more from her...It should've been perfect.

I had told her my feelings abruptly one day after school. She didn't give me a response, and merely left. At that, I thought she must have hated me...Until I received a message from her, asking to meet up somewhere.

As I trudged through the snow, I finally saw Iwanako's figure amidst the whiteness. The snow falling gently around her made for a beautiful sight, and I could feel my heart pounding the entire time...

Then, she had returned my feelings, and I wanted to tell her my relief, I wanted to reach out and touch her...But I found myself slipping into unconsciousness, my heart pounding painfully inside of my chest, hearing her calls through the darkness...

I spent months in the hospital after that, and nothing pained me more than the day that Iwanako cried for me...I was too weak at that point to comfort her, and she left, and I never saw her again after that.

And now, as I near the school that I must now call home, I realize that I have nothing...

I'm just a broken girl with a broken heart.

**Act 1 - Repair**


	2. Chapter One: Yamaku

**Two Queens**

**Act I - Repair**

**Chapter One: Yamaku**

I began to realize that I was becoming increasingly nervous as I walked through the halls of of Yamaku. It was partially due to the unfamiliarity of my surroundings, and the fact that I didn't know what to expect.

Finally, I stopped in my tracks and looked around me. Am I lost?

"Excuse me." came a voice from behind, making me jump. I turned to see a rather depressing looking man standing there, dawning a black button-up and tie, along with a long, brown jacket. He had no facial expression, and all I could think upon seeing him was: _What a downer..._

I realized that I was just standing there, looking stupid. "I u-um...Do you know where Class 3-3 is?" I asked him with a slight smile.

He raised an eyebrow at me, then pointed beside me. I looked over and saw, to my dismay, the class number was clearly marked above the door there.

"Oh..." I said simply. I turned back to the man and saw that he had his hand extended towards me.

"I'm Mutou. I'm assuming you are Hisako Na...Ni...Niki?" the man stumbled with my last name for a moment and looked around awkwardly.

"Nakai." I corrected him, lightly shaking his hand. He nodded.

"I'll be your homeroom and science teacher. The nurse asked me to tell you to go get a quick check-up, so I waited in the lobby for you...But you came in and left before I could call out to you." Mutou told me with no emotion.

I felt my face turn pink a bit. "S-Sorry!" I told him, bowing respectfully.

When I looked back up, Mutou glanced at his watch. "I'm a bit late to class as it is, so you'll have to go see the nurse on your own time." he told me, and I nodded to him. "Would you like to introduce yourself to the class?"

I nodded, and he turned to the door, opening it and making his way in. Whatever talking that was going on turned to whispers and mumbles as Mutou headed to stand in front of his desk.

"Good morning everyone, sorry I'm late again." he said. I took a step towards the door, but froze in place.

_Dammit, pull it together! _I told myself, _This is going to be hard, but...You've just got to work with it._

I wasn't one for crowds, and the thought of having a class full of eyes staring at me while I fumbled for words ...It was pretty unsettling.

However, I was able to work up my nerves and step inside of the classroom. Once inside, I made my way over to where Mutou was standing and looked around the room, not wanting to meet the gaze of my peers.

I noted that the classroom was a good size, with a spacious ceiling and plenty of room around the desks. The fact that the only thing on the back wall was a blackboard, and the windows in the room were tall and old-fashioned, only made it seem bigger.

After a few moments, my eyes eventually settled on my new classmates. From first glance, they appeared to be pretty normal. But then again, why would they be here if they were?

I began to pick out a few details without allowing myself to get caught looking. One girl at the front looked aloof to whatever was going on, and had a bandage around where he left hand should be. Another, by the windows, had fake legs that would not have been noticeable at all had I not been looking.

Mutou had started giving a speech about my arrival, but I wasn't really paying attention to it. A flash of dark hair moved my eyes to the back of the room, where an eye-catching girl is staring at me. Upon seeing me look back at her, she places a hand over the right side of her face, as if it will make her invisible.

Beside her was a boy with his eyes closed and a cane leaning against the small lockers beside him. It was odd seeing someone so young with a cane.

Movement dragged my eyes over to my right, where two girls were taking turns with making various hand signals. Sign language? The girl with the glasses gazed at me for a moment, then went back to whatever she was doing.

"...please welcome our newest classmate." the end of Mutton's speech tuned into my mind, mainly due to the lack of enthusiasm in it.

I was surprised when Mutou began to clap, and the others followed suit, except for the dark girl in the front whom only had one hand. I cringed a little, but bowed respectfully not to let it show.

Once the applause was done, I realized that I should probably say something. "I-I'm Hisako Nakai," I said, stumbling a bit at first, "My hobbies are reading and soccer. Um...I hope to get along with you all." I told them, bowing to stop my nervousness from showing.

There was silence for a few moments, before Mutou finally took it that I was done. I stood up straight and zoned out again as he began to talk about helping me settle in at the school. I took one last sweep across the classroom with my gaze, noticing that most people were only half-paying attention, and only a few girls were murmuring and looking my way. The few boys in the class seemed indifferent.

Well, it could have gone worse.

The class began to clap again. The girl with the missing hand joined in, tapping her good arm on the wood of the table. I felt a little bad and adverted my attention.

"Alright," Mutou began to say to me, "We're doing group work today, so this will be a good time for you to get to know some of your classmates. Is that alright with you?"

I nodded. "Yeah, that's fine." I answered. If I was able to make a friend or two, the upcoming weeks may not be so bad.

"Good. You can work with Hakamichi. She's the class representative." Mutou told me, "If you have any questions, she'll answer them for you."

Everyone broke the silence, and I turned to see them getting into groups, ready to do the assignment. Mutou took some papers off of his desk and began to disperse them...

But I simply stood there, looking around. Who is Hakamichi? Mutou finally realized that I was lost, and his face showed that he realized his error.

"Oh, right. Hakamichi is right over there. Shizune Hakamichi." he told me, nodding towards the bespectacled girl I saw before, and a bubbly-looking girl with an odd, pink-colored hairstyle, who waved at me.

Sure enough, beside the pink-haired girl was an empty seat. I took it, and, as I sat down, the girl suddenly got in my face, causing me to move back in surprise. "Hello!~" she said in a cheery tone.

"Um...Hi." I replied, feeling myself blush a little. Seeing this, the girl moved back and gave me a grin. Not wanting to seem like I'm shy, I continued, "You must be Hakamichi right? I-It's nice to meet you."

The girl paused for a moment, then laughed loudly. It took me off guard.

"It's nice to meet you too, but!...I'm not Hakamichi, I'm Misha! This is Hakamichi Shicchan~!" she exclaimed, pointing at the girl beside her, whom I noticed had been staring at me the whole time. She nodded to me, and I raised my hand in greetings, but she turned back to the paper in front of her.

"Um, it's nice to meet you." I told her. She looked over at me, then at Misha. They began to exchanged a few signs, so fast that I couldn't even attempt at picking out their meanings.

"You look kind of confused," Misha said, turning back to me, beaming. "You see, Shicchan is deaf, so I'm the one who translates things back and forth for her! I'm like an interpreter!" She laughed slightly as if the thought amused her. "Oh, and she says it's nice to meet you too!"

I felt a slight blush come onto my face. _I just tried to talk to a deaf person, _I thought with a sigh.

"What's the matter?" Misha asked, giving a small, pouting-like frown my way.

"O-Oh, nothing. I guess I just have to get used to my surroundings..." I told her. Misha laughed, and it took me off-guard yet again.

"It's a big change, isn't it?" she said. Then, seeing Hakamichi beginning to sign something, she turned towards her, then back to me again. "Shicchan says that you can ask her anything you want to know!~ And you can ask me too, Hisako!"

"Well...I don't think I need to know anything right now, really..." I told them. Misha pouted a little at that response, but brightened up quickly.

"Well~! If you ever need anything, don't hesitate to ask! At lunch, we can show you around if you want!" Misha told me with a smile. I nodded.

"T-Thank you." I said. Hakamichi- No, I guess I should call her Shizune, just so I'm not too formal, began to sign something, and Misha suddenly looked flustered.

"Oh yeah! We better get to work on the assignment!" she exclaimed, quickly turning to the paper in front of her. It was in that moment that I noticed she was still signing. It must be a natural instinct for her to sign everything that she says for Shizune.

We moved our desks closer together, and we began to work on the assignment, which, to my relief, was something we had covered in my old school a couple of months ago.

Besides the slightly awkward beginning, I realized that this school may not be so bad after all. I looked around the room at my new classmates, who were chatting with their groups happily. I couldn't help but smile at the fact that I was able to see them as happy students, not ones with disabilities...

Then, I noticed the dark-haired girl at the back of the classroom stand up slowly, not making a sound. If I hadn't been looking, I probably wouldn't have heard her. Mutou looked up at saw her though as she crept across the back of the classroom and exited through the back door.

_What was that about? _I wondered. For a moment, I pondered on whether I should bring it up or not.

"Um, why did that girl just stand up and leave?" I asked. Misha turned to me and raised an eyebrow, then glanced back to where the girl was sitting moments before.

She turned back to me and opened her mouth to explain, but then stopped and thought about it for a moment. "Well, Hanako is...kind of anxious. But even so, I don't think she should skip class so much~! Shicchan and I will get onto her later." Misha exclaimed.

With that, Misha seemed to drop the subject. I, on the other hand, became more interested.

* * *

><p>Lunch time came rather quickly. Most of the students stood and quickly left the class to go eat, leaving only me, Misha, and Shizune.<p>

"Alright~! Hisako, you can come with us to Lunch!" Misha exclaimed, shooting up out of her chair. Shizune stood up slower and much less energetic.

"Um, I'm not really hungry at the moment," I told them, "Could you tell me where the Library is?" It wasn't a complete lie, since my appetite had been off since I was in the hospital, but I also didn't feel like being in an unfamiliar, crowded lunch room at the moment.

Misha looked disappointed. "Aww, but we could tell you more about the school~!" she exclaimed. From behind, Shizune signed a few things to her, looking a bit disappointed too.

"Ah, okay Shicchan~!" Misha said to her. Turning back to me, she said, "The Library is just down the hall. You can ask someone if you get lost~!" There seemed to be a bit of hostility in her voice, but her playful pouting expression made me realize that it was being used jokingly.

"Erm, thanks..." I told them, nodding to Shizune and picking up my bag, quickly leaving the classroom.

I knew I would end up getting lost, but walking through the empty halls helped clear my head a bit. _I hope I didn't seem too rude or anything, _I thought as I explored around, looking for the Library.

_Maybe this is it? _I wondered, approaching a door that had no other doors beside it. _It looks like it's got enough space to be the Library. _I set a hand on the knob and opened the door slowly.

Sunlight from a window in the room hit my eyes, and I had to adjust for a moment. However, I quickly realized that I wasn't in the library, for the room was much too small...

And two figures sat at the table near the windows. One looking calmly forward, her blonde hair very bright in the sunlight. The other was one whom I recognized: Hanako. She was looking at me with an expression of surprise.

"Oh?"the blonde-haired girl spoke up, looking my way, but more towards the ground. "Who is it?"

I realized quickly that she must be blind, mainly from the lack of expression in her eyes. "U-Um, sorry, I was looking for the library and..." I trailed off, feeling myself blush a little.

Hanako had turned her head to look out the window, one hand covering her face like before, as if she was hoping I hadn't seen her there.

"S-Sorry for intruding..." I said, beginning to close the door...

However, I stopped as the blonde-haired girl asked, "Would you like to join us?"

I stopped and glanced at the table in front of them. They were having tea, which wasn't exactly my favorite. Hanako seemed surprised by the girl's question, and looked at her as if pleading to take it back.

"Um...Sure." I answered, not wanting to turn down the invitation. I closed the door, then stepped up to the table and cautiously took the seat beside Hanako, hoping she wouldn't jump up and run away...

But to my surprise, she didn't. I glanced over at her and caught something that I didn't see before: On her right hand was a scar, which appeared to trail up her arm length. Seeing me out of the corner of her eye, Hanako turned to me in surprise, and I couldn't help but be startled by what I saw:

The right side of her face was scarred. Her bangs hid most of it, but it was still visible. I noticed the texture of it, and realized that it must be from a burn. Seeing my reaction, Hanako covered her scar with her hand and jumped up out of her chair, then made her way over to the door, leaving quickly.

"W-Wait!" I called to her, but she was already gone.

The blonde-haired girl sighed, and I noticed that she had a surprised look on her face, probably wondering what had happened.

"I-I'm sorry..." I told her, although I know I should probably apologize to Hanako.

"It's okay..." the girl said, "Hanako is very...Frail, I should say." she told me.

_Obviously, _I thought, still feeling bad about what happened. I thought back to the burn markings, and how Hanako was always trying to hide them.

How can I let others feel pity for me, when there are people as hurt as that in this school?...

Surely my broken heart doesn't compare to visible scars...Does it?

**To Be Continued**

**Next Chapter - Apologies**


	3. Chapter Two: Apologies

**Two Queens**

**Act 1 – Repair**

**Chapter Two – Apologies**

"My name is Lilly, by the way." the blonde-haired girl spoke as she poured me a cup of tea. She handed it to me, and I nodded in thanks. However, I quickly realized she wouldn't see it.

"Thank you." I told her. "My name is Hisako. Hisako Nakai." I added in before taking a sip of the tea. Surprisingly, it wasn't half bad. Tea wasn't really my thing, but I could easily get used to this, since it had a strange sweetness to it.

As Lilly raised her cup to her lips, I noticed the elegance and smoothness in every movement she made. They seemed to be careful and precise, likely due to the fact that she couldn't see what she was doing. However, she easily set the tea cup back onto the small plate in front of her.

I guess that's what it means to adapt to your disabilities. Would I ever adapt to mine? I could only hope so, or else I'd have the threat of a heart attack lingering over me at all times.

"So," Lilly suddenly spoke up, her soft voice gently cutting through the silence, "I'm assuming that you're new to Yamaku?"

I nodded, then caught myself again, and said, "Yes...All of this is new to me, so it's hard to take in all at once."

Lilly nodded. "I'm sure you'll get used to it. It's very homely here." she told me, taking another sip of tea.

"What class are you in, Lilly?" I decided to ask, just to make conversation.

"I'm the representative for Class 3-2." she told me. To my surprise, Lilly didn't add any sort of smugness to her tone, and treated the fact that she was the representative as not being a very big deal.

"I'm part of Class 3-3. I think Shizune is the class representative for my class, do you know her?" I asked. I noticed Lilly frown a bit.

"Yes, I know Shizune... She is the head of the Student Council, so most people have talked to her at one point or another." She said. There was a hint of disdain when she spoke Shizune's name.

I realized for a moment that Lilly and Shizune may not get along due to the communication barrier. Lilly can't see what Shizune is signing, and Shizune can't hear what Lilly has to say. An unfortunate predicament.

"...I wonder if Hanako is alright." Lilly said, obviously trying to change the subject. She had turned her head towards the windows, and, for a moment, I could almost believe that Lilly could see the sunlight that was causing her eyes to sparkle.

I caught myself staring and looked away, taking another sip of tea. Then I realized that Lilly wouldn't be able to see it anyways, and sighed.

"Is something wrong?" Lilly asked, looking my way and giving a slightly concerned face.

"I guess I feel guilty for scaring off Hanako..." I told her. It wasn't what was on my mind at that very moment, but it was still a worrisome event that I wished I could correct.

"Don't worry, Hisako," Lilly told me with a small, reassuring smile, "I'm sure Hanako will be over it in no time."

"T-Thanks." I told her, although I didn't feel any better about it. I realized that I was unsure of where the time had gone, and took out my cellphone, gazing at the time. I still had enough time to go and try to find the library.

I took a long sip of tea, then set my cup down. I stood, and saw Lilly flinch slightly at the sound of my chair moving along the floor.

"U-Um, I think I'm going to try and find the library while I still have time." I told her. Lilly nodded and stood out of her chair as well.

"I think I'd better go searching for Hanako," she told me, feeling along the wall for a moment before finding her cane, "I can take you to the library, if you wish."

I nodded. "Sure, that would be nice." I responded. I opened the door and stepped outside, looking back to see Lilly following closely behind me, shutting the door to the room.

Then, Lilly did something I didn't expect. She set a hand on my shoulder, and her gentle touch caused me to blush.

"Do you mind?" she asked. I shook my head.

"N-No, it's fine." I told her, not wanting to sound flustered. We began to make our way down the hall, and I noticed Lilly tapping the wall beside us every once in a while.

Then, eventually, she tugged on my shoulder and we both stopped. "This should be it." Lilly told me. I turned to look at the door beside us. Sure enough, it was marked with the words 'library' above it.

"Wow, that was really perceptive!" I commented. I regretted it immediately though, thinking I may have offended Lilly in some way, but she giggled a little and nodded her head.

"I've learned my way around." she told me.

With that, I told Lilly goodbye and watched her saw she left down the hall, staying beside the wall at all times, likely to know where she was going. Once she rounded the corner, I stepped inside of the library.

The library was surprisingly big, and appeared to have a much bigger selection than my old school. I noticed that someone was fumbling with something at the counter nearby, and figured that it must be the librarian.

"Hello." I said. The woman jumped at my voice, and I noticed various books and papers topple over. The sound of them hitting the ground made her jump again. She looked down at the books, then over to me. "S-Sorry, I didn't mean to-" I began to say.

However, the woman interrupted me, "I-It's okay! I-Is there something you need?" her speech was fast and nervous-sounding.

"Um, I'm new to this school, so I was wondering if you could tell me where the fiction section is..." I said, trying to speak in a soft tone.

It seemed to work, as the woman appeared to settle. "Oh! I was wondering if I had seen you before or not." she said, smiling at me and standing up straight. "I'm Yuuko, the librarian here."

I bowed respectfully to Yuuko. "I'm Hisako. Hisako Nakai." I told her.

Yuuko nodded and began to pick up the books and papers that had fallen earlier. "Do you need any help?" I asked her. She was obviously trying to pick them up as quickly as possible, fumbling around with them for a few moments before being able to pick them all up and setting them back on the counter. I guess she didn't hear my offer.

Then, she stared at me blankly for a moment. I was about to try and remind her of why I came, but realization appeared to hit Yuuko. "O-Oh! Yes, the fiction section is right over here!" she told me, moving out from behind the counter.

Now that I could get a better look at Yuuko, I realized that she looked extremely young. If I had seen her in the halls, I would probably have taken her to be just another student.

I followed Yuuko to two long bookshelves near the center of the library. "All of these here are fiction," she told me, "And over there is our non-fiction, then the textbooks are over there, and, um..." Yuuko began to look around the library as if she was forgetting something.

"Thank you, Yuuko." I said, cutting into her thoughts.

She smiled nervously at me. "P-Please don't hesitate to ask for anything." Yuuko told me before scurrying off to the counter once more.

As I watched Yuuko leave, I couldn't help but giggle a bit. _She's quite the character, _I thought. Everybody whom I had met so far seemed to have a good personality, although, of course, I couldn't really say anything of Hanako yet.

I looked along the shelves, trying to find something I may like. I was aware that time was pressing on me, and that it would be time for class again soon. To my disdain, I wasn't able to find anything that sparked my interest.

As I began to leave, however, something caught my eye: Over in one section of the room was a sitting area, with a few tables and chairs, and two bean-bags...

And, sure enough, a familiar figure sat in one, her eyes glued to the book in her hands.

Watching Hanako so focused on something was an interesting sight. She must like to read a lot, and the library is probably a good, quiet spot for her to stay at.

It came to my attention that this would be a good time to apologize for startling her earlier. However, I didn't want to disturb Hanako, who looked like she was very into the book in her hands.

_I should amend things before there's awkward tension between us later, _I thought to myself, taking a deep breaths before making my way up to her.

Surprisingly, she didn't see me come over, even though I should easily be in her peripheral view. _She really is glued to that book, _I realized.

"U-Um..." I spoke, and Hanako jumped, looking up at me like a deer that was caught in headlights. She was obviously very nervous by my appearance, and, in all honesty, I was nervous myself, afraid to do anything that might break Hanako...

And maybe it was that fact that made Hanako seem to relax a little bit. She covered the right side of her face with her hand, like before, and her eyes became less widened with surprise...

There was silence for a moment, as I worked up what to say. Then, I spoke, more abruptly than I had wanted to:

"I'm sorry for earlier!"

"I-I'm sorry for before..."

…

Our words came out at the same moment. Both of us blushed a little, but then, I found myself laughing a bit. Even Hanako herself seemed to shyly smile and look away, which made her look extremely cute.

"I'm glad we're on the same page, I guess." I told her. Hanako hesitantly nodded, moving her hand from her face to her book, gently folding the corner of the page she was on and closing it. "I...felt a little bad about it..." I rubbed the back of my head, realizing my apology wasn't thought out at all.

"I-It's okay." Hanako told me. It wasn't a very reassuring response, but I smiled at her and nodded.

"That's good." I said. I decided then to sit in the nearby empty beanbag, making sure to move slowly as to not startle Hanako, who seemed relieved that I was on the side of her where I couldn't see her scar.

"So...what are you reading?" I asked, even though the title of the book was clearly visible.

"T-The Life of Pi..." Hanako told me, gazing down at the book in her hands. I looked at it, and saw a clearly depiction of a boy and a tiger that appeared to be floating on some sort of boat. "I-It's one of my f-favorites..."

"Oh? Have you read it before?" I asked her. Hanako nodded.

"Lots of t-times." she said. I noticed that she seemed to stutter a bit, likely coming from the nervousness she was probably feeling.

I opened my mouth to continue the conversation, but the sound of a ringing bell could be heard not too far off.

Hanako seemed to be relieved, as she quickly stood up. I followed suit, finding it a little difficult to stand up from the comfortable position I was in on the beanbag.

"How about we walk back to class together?" I said to Hanako, giving her a friendly smile. She covered her face with her hand once again, and slowly shook her head.

"I-I have something I h-have to do..." she told me. From Hanako's tone of voice, I could tell she was worried I might take offense.

"That's alright," I told her, "I guess I'll see you later then." I nodded to her, and she returned with a slight nod of her own.

As I made my way out of the library, I took one last glance over my shoulder. Hanako was still staring at me, and, caught in the act, she looked all around, blushing a bit.

I smiled and waved to her, which she returned shyly. Then, I left.

Although I wasn't able to find something to read, I was, at least, able to make things better with Hanako; I didn't want to have someone who hated me on the first day at my new school.

Hanako interested me as well, and I found myself thinking about her all the way back to my classroom. Her timid personality gave me a feeling that I had never really experienced before.

It made me want to change that cute, but frail, girl...

It made me want to protect her.

**To be continued...**

**Next Chapter - Friends**


	4. Chapter Three: Friends

_**A/N: Sorry for the lack of updating, I've been busy. Please Read, Review, and Enjoy!~~**_

**Two Queens**

**Act 1 – Repair**

**Chapter Three – Friends**

The rest of my first day at Yamaku went by rather fast. Misha continued to try and get me to take one of their tours around the school, and I could see that Shizune, too, would have liked the opportunity to show me around.

However, every time I indirectly said 'no', and Shizune was able to get Misha to stop bugging me for about five minutes before she started up again.

When the final bell began to chime, I gave a sigh of relief. Everyone stood and began to pack of their belongings. I did the same, but Misha shot up out of her chair and pointed at me.

"Hey~! You're going to come with us tomorrow at lunch, okay?" Misha appeared to be taking the initiative now, almost demanding me to do what she says. However, now that I knew her a bit, I couldn't really take her seriously.

"Okay then, tomorrow," I told her. She lit up and turned to Shizune, signing what I had said. It wouldn't be too bad to spend some time with them, I was just thinking of visiting Lilly and Hanako again. Shizune smiled and pushed up on her glasses, signing something back at Misha rather smugly.

"Whaa~? Being patient with people always works? But...It was because I was so persistent, Shicchan," Misha retorted. The two of them began to get into a sort of signing argument, so I took that moment to give a slight wave and made my escape.

Before exiting the classroom, I glanced towards the back and realized that I wasn't sure if Hanako had actually come to class after lunch or not. Was she there the whole time, and did she look my way? Did it look like I was ignoring her? I hope not...

My train of thought was suddenly interrupted by a person running through the doorway and slamming right into me, causing us both to topple over. It wasn't that much of an impact, and I was about to stand right back up...

But then, the pain came in, surging through me in an instant. My chest tightened, and my heart beat rapidly became louder and faster.

At first, I felt panic come over me. I placed a hand over my chest and clenched my eyes shut, not moving at all. _Calm...down, _I told myself. This was my first attack that I'd had since my third day in the hospital, when I tried to stand and ended up passing out.

The next few moments passed by slowly, but the pain eventually subsided. As my heartbeat fell back into its usual motion, I looked up at the person who I had run into.

She was the girl whom I had seen before, sitting in the front row of the class, her left hand but a mere bandaged stump. Her look was of concern, which was rather offsetting.

"Are you okay?" The girl held down her good hand, and I nodded, taking it. She helped me stand, and, after a few moments of swaying, I regained my balance.

"I-I'm...fine," I told her, resting my hand on my chest for a moment to confirm that it had returned to normal. Then, I gazed around the classroom, and realized that the few remaining people were giving me worried looks, including Misha, and Shizune, who had followed her gaze.

I jumped a little as the girl who ran into me set her hand on my shoulder gently. "Are you sure?" Her voice was full of concern, which I didn't like. Ever since being in the hospital, I didn't want anyone worry about me.

I nodded and quickly moved past her and left the class. The feeling of several eyes burning into me was a discomfort, and I just wanted to get away.

I made my way down the hall, following the flow of students. After a few minutes, I finally began to slow down, realizing that I had no idea where I was going. I still had to visit the nurse, but I had no idea where to go.

Stopping, I turned and scanned the groups of students passing by. _Maybe I should just get Misha and Shizune to show me the way, _I thought. However, I could see the head of a familiar figure practically hugging the wall back the way I came.

Sure enough, as I had figured, it was Hanako.

"Hi Hanako," I said. "I don't think I saw you after Lunch."

She nodded. "I-I had to d-do something..." It was a simple answer, but I didn't press it any farther. From what I could tell, Hanako liked to have time to herself.

Hanako started looking back over her shoulder, then back to me, then down towards the ground. I realized that I was probably stopping her from going somewhere.

"S-Sorry if I'm stopping you, I just needed to know where the Nurse's office was," I told her. Hanako raised a finger to her lips for a moment in thought, looking around rather nervously.

"I-I can show you the way..." Hanako pointed past me down the hall. I smiled at her and nodded.

"Thanks," I said. I turned and waited for Hanako to take my side, as I would expect any person to do, but, instead, she got behind me and gently took hold of my sleeve. I was confused for a moment, but then I realized that she probably needs me to help hide her from the mass of students around us.

As we made our way down the hallway, the flood of students eventually died down. Hanako moved closer and closer to my side, and, eventually, she let go of my sleeve and walked without me acting as her protector.

"I-It's in a s-seperate building over th-there," Hanako told me as we exited the main building, pointing over towards a smaller building across the courtyard at the front of the school.

As we approached the building, a couple of students exited, and Hanako was quick to move behind me, her right hand falling upon the burn on her face. Once they moved past, I opened the door and turned back towards Hanako.

"If you want, you can go ahead to the tea room," I told her. For a moment, Hanako seemed to contemplate this, but then she shook her head slightly.

"I-I can wait for you," She said. I nodded in understanding, and we entered the building.

I headed towards the door with the marker clearly labeled 'Nurse'. Hanako stood out beside the door while I knocked and stepped inside.

"Hello?" I said. The room looked just how I expected it to, with a counter and shelving along one wall, cluttered with papers and books with titles that I can't even pronounce. On the other side of the room were two beds with a curtain in the middle. The room's light wasn't on, but there was enough sunlight coming in through the window that you could see well enough.

A voice caused me to jump. "Hello there." I turned and realized that someone was standing on the other side of the door, just out of sight. I closed the door gently and realized that he must be the nurse.

I took a moment to get a good look at him. He was tall and had slightly unkempt purple hair. His dimples from his smile that appeared on his face quickly washed away the young person that I took him for.

"A-Are you the nurse?" Perhaps it was a dumb question, but I better make sure at least.

"Of course I am, it says so outside of the door, doesn't it?" His smile widened a bit, as if mocking the fact that I had asked an obvious question. "You must be miss Hisako Nakai. I thought you were going to visit in the morning, so I lost hope of seeing you!"

He extended his hand to me and I shook it. His handshake was firm and friendly, which complemented his already friendly appearance.

"I um...I got lost, and had no time to come by..." I looked around the room, trying to make up an excuse. However, he merely let out a chuckle.

"It is your first day here, so I can't blame you," he told me, "By the way, you can call me 'the Nurse', like everyone else does." Hewalked over to a file on the counter and grabbed it. He then sat in a black rolling chair and rolled back over to me, holding up the file. "I read your file this morning. Some kind of chronic arrhythmia and related congenital heart muscle deficiency, right?"

The long string of words made no sense to me, but I nodded anyways at the word 'heart'. The Nurse turned in his rolling chair towards his desk, and motioned towards the chair in front of it. I approached the chair and sat down, while he rolled around to his side of the desk.

"I'm sure you've heard about our establishment already, so I'll give you a small run-down about things here. We have many facilities available, mostly physical therapy and such, and there's always faculty around the school, so don't hesitate to call us if something is wrong." He stopped for a moment to let me soak that knowledge in.

"That makes this place sound like a hospital..." I said, more to myself. However, the Nurse looked pleased, as though he had heard this statement hundreds of times already.

"You'll find that this is just like any other school. I mean, we don't do brain surgery here or anything." His joke felt a bit stale, and I smiled a bit just to give him a response. "You'll get used to everything that goes on here. Now, let me find your file..."

While the Nurse opened his laptop and began to look through stacks of papers around his desk, I let my mind wander a bit. I began to wonder about how life will be here, and...

_Will I fit in here? _That question had been looming over me, especially after seeing my classmates and what disabilities they had. Sure, my attacks are scary, but they only happen when triggered, so it's something I could live with. Can it match up to having a missing hand, deafness, blindness, or a permanent scar?

"Ah, here we go," the Nurse said, breaking my train of thought, much to my relief. I didn't want to worry too much about it. I watched as he pulled out a thick file from a stack of papers and opened it, skimming through it until he found what he needed. "You already have your pills for your arrhythmia, just remember to take them every morning and evening, or it won't be much help. Apart from that, do you do any sports, or anything like that? Boxing maybe?"

Another joke, equally as out of place. I shook my head, then a thought crossed my mind. "Well, I did play soccer a little bit with my friends at my old school," I told him.

"Well, I'm afraid I'm going to have to refrain from doing that, for a little while, at least," he told me. "Any hit to the chest could cause another attack, and we can't allow that to happen. Is that what happened for the first attack you suffered? It didn't say in your file."

I couldn't help but blush a bit. I thought back to hearing the words that Iwanako spoke that triggered my pains. "Um, n-no, not exactly..." I side-stepped the question, which caused him to give me a slightly more serious look. It was a personal thing that I'd rather not share with anyone.

"Well then, it'd still be good to get some exercise. Just a jog in the mornings, jumping rope, a brisk walk. Possibly swimming? We do have a pool here." I shrugged indifferently. "Well then, I'm sure you've heard all of this before. You just need to keep it simple, and don't overexert yourself."

The Nurse wiggled his finger a bit as if to exagerate his point. For the first time, that made me grin a bit, which made him smile in return, although he dropped it and put on a fake, serious expression. "No unecessary risks. You need to take care of yourself." I nodded in understanding. "Well then, that's it. Come by if you ever need something."

"T-Thank you," I told him as I stood. I dipped my head respectfully and turned to leave.

"By the way," he began to say, making me stop and look back at him, "Who was it who directed you here?"

I was surprised by his question. "It was Hanako," I answered. From her condition, I figured that was enough for him to know who it was.

The Nurse seemed surprised by my answer. "Interesting..."

* * *

><p>I stepped out of the Nurse's office, and saw Hanako's alarmed expression. She calmed as she saw that it was only me. "H-How w-was it?" she asked me.<p>

"Um, I just got lectured a bit over my medicine, that's all." I told her. As I started to close the door, the Nurse's hand stopped it, and he peered out of the room. Hanako jumped as she noticed him.

"Hello Hanako," the Nurse said to her, smiling. I glanced at Hanako, who raised her hand to her scar and hesitantly nodded to him.

"H-H-Hi..." I couldn't help but think that the Nurse's rather too-hapy smile may be frightening her.

"Have you been attending classes more often?" The Nurse's smile dropped a bit as he asked this, becoming more serious. She looked side to side, and then nodded. "Well, that's good to hear then," he said, his smile returning. He then looked over at me, then back to Hanako. "And it's nice to see that you're both friends."

The Nurse nodded to us, then retreated back into the room, gently closing the door behind him, leaving both Hanako and I standing there. I opened my mouth to thank Hanako for waiting on me, but she seemed...out of it.

Hanako's eyes were gazing down at the floor, but it was not out of fear, nor worry. Her hand had dropped from her face, and I couldn't help but think that she was confused.

"F-Friends..." she muttered softly, as if the term was a surprise to her. Her gaze moved up and met mine, so suddenly that I blushed slightly. For a very brief moment, I felt a flutter in my heart. I placed a hand over my chest to make sure that my heart was still in its natural rhythm, and it was.

But, as quickly as our eyes locked, Hanako quickly realized that she was staring and seemed to gasp a bit, looking from side to side and turning away. At that moment, I couldn't help but turn away as well, blushing a bit.

"W-Well, let's go find Lilly, shall we?" I asked, not wanting an awkward silence to pass over us.

Hanako glanced my way, then nodded, and we made our way out of the building side by side.

**To be continued...**

**Next Chapter - Checkmate**


	5. Chapter Four: Checkmate

**Two Queens**

**Act 1 – Repair**

**Chapter Four – Checkmate**

When we arrived at the tea room, Lilly wasn't there. Instead, a small note laid on the table beside a tea pot and two tea cups.

Hanako was quick to pick up the note and read it. After a moment, she placed it back down onto the table, a blank look on her face. I picked the paper up and read it myself. The handwriting on it was surprisingly neat, much more than my own.

_**Hanako, I have gone into town to run an errand, and I will be back in a little while. I went ahead and prepared tea for you, and Hisako if she is with you.**_

_**-Lilly**_

_She knew I'd be here, _I thought, slightly amused. However, I could see that Hanako wasn't bearing with the absence of Lilly very well, so I dropped my smile.

"I guess we should wait for her to come back," I suggested. Hanako nodded slightly and walked over to the seat on the side where Lilly usually sat, and I took a seat on the other side where I sat before.

I watched Hanako as she hesitantly picked up the tea pot and began to pour herself some tea. Once her cup was almost full, she leaned over and poured me some as well. I nodded to her in thanks and took a sip, finding that it was still slightly warm, and tasted sweet.

Hanako and I sat in silence for the next few minutes, which wasn't much of a surprise. I gazed out the window at the dimming sunlight, then allowed my gaze to move towards her inconspicuously.

I unknowingly got my first glimpse of Hanako while she was offguard, and not hiding or turning away. I actually had a thought slip through my mind that she looked beautiful. The sun lit up her violet eyes and her smooth, slightly paled skin, thought it was contradicted by the scarring that started on the far right side of her face. _Is that how Hanako can be described? A beautiful girl, engulfed in a cruel darkness?_

Something in me wanted to try and imagine her as though her incident had never occurred. I could imagine that, instead of that seemingly permanent, small frown, she would always be smiling...Always bright...

I shook my head to stop my train of thought. _I can't think of it that way...As though she's a broken figure of what she could be..._I looked down at my chest for a moment before looking back up at Hanako. _After all, that's what I am..._

Hanako's eyes suddenly darted my way, and I dropped my gaze to the tea cup in front of her. I continued to act as though I were looking aimlessly around, but she maintained her stare, and I knew that Hanako wasn't buying it.

"H-Hisako..." Hanako's voice nearly made me jump as it broke through the silence.

"What is it?" If she was brave enough to actually speak in this moment, then it had to be something important.

Hanako's eyes closed, and I could see that her arms were shaking slightly. "W-Would you-" Hanako started to speak, but stopped in mid-sentence and had to recollect herself. "L-like to play...a game of chess?"

I wasn't expecting to be asked something like that, but I gave a small smile and responded with a simple answer: "Sure."

Hanako seemed to let a smile slip onto her face and she nodded, getting up and walking over to a nearby counter where, sure enough, a wooden chess board and pieces lay.

"Do you play with Lilly a lot?" I asked Hanako while she placed the board on the table and began to set up the pieces delicately.

"S-Sometimes," she answered. Seeing that Hanako was setting herself up with the black pieces, I went ahead and grabbed the whites and began to place them on my side of the board.

Chess wasn't something I was very interested in, but it was a good pass-time activity that my friends would sometimes convince me to take part in.

After quite a few moves had passed, Hanako moved her knight forward, putting me into check. _Hm, but I can easily take that with my queen, _I thought with a grin, as I placed my hand on the piece and moved it over to the knight...

But, as I picked up the knight and set it with the other pieces I had claimed, Hanako put a finger up to her lips and smiled. For a moment, I was wondering why she looked so please...Then I took a look at the board and realized what I had done.

Hanako delicately slid her black queen over to mine, and took the piece. I sighed. "You're definitely better at this than I am," I told her, and she blushed a bit.

"I-It's something I've r-read up on," she told me. I smiled at her. _So now I know one of her hobbies besides reading, _I thought.

It wasn't long after that moment when I made another mistake. Hanako took my second rook, leaving me with a king and two pawns. It was only a matter of time before...

"C-Checkmate..."

Hanako moved her queen over to the right side of the board. I looked at my king and tried to find a way out, but she had me locked down with her rooks and queen.

"Well, I saw this coming," I said with a sigh, "You're definitely the best chess player I've seen...Is there a sort of chess club or something you've thought about joining?" The question wasn't something that really interested me, but I wanted to keep the conversation going.

Hanako shook her head. "N-No, there's nothing l-like that," she responded.

"Have you ever thought of making a chess club?" My question seemed to surprise her a bit, and she twiddled with her fingers for a moment, looking at the table, obviously trying to think of an answer...

But then, the door suddenly opened, and Hanako instantly shot up out of her chair, obviously frightened, and looking like she would either hide or jump out the window to escape.

When she saw Lilly's familiar face however, she lit up a bit. "L-Lilly," she said, a smile coming onto her face.

Lilly smiled as well as she entered the room and closed the door behind her. "Hello Hanako, and..." Lilly seemed to look around the room, wondering if I was there as well.

"Hi Lilly," I said, and she looked my way, dipping her head to me.

"I'm glad you were here to keep Hanako company, Hisako," she told me. "What did you both do while I was gone?"

Hanako opened her mouth to answer, but then she seemed to hesitate and looked down at the chess board on the table.

"We played a game of chess, and Hanako helped me realize how bad I am at it," I said jokingly. Hanako seemed to think she did something wrong, but when I smiled at her, she turned away, holding onto the right side of her face and smiling slightly.

I could tell that Lilly sensed the peaceful mood of the room as she said, "I'm glad you had fun." When I looked over at her though, her smile had dropped...

Before I could ask what she was thinking, Lilly said, "I just came to pick up Hanako, but would you like to accompany us to the dorms?"

I nodded. "Sure," I answered, standing out of my chair. Once she heard the sound of my chair scooting back, Lilly opened the door and proceeded out, followed by Hanako, and lastly me.

* * *

><p>On the way to the dorms, I realized just how late it had gotten. The sun was almost all the way past the horizon, and the sky was darkening. Hanako and Lilly walked side by side, their arms locked together, although it didn't look much like Hanako was leading Lilly in the right direction, but rather, she was using Lilly for comfort, which made me smile.<p>

We eventually arrived at their dorm rooms, which were right across from each other. "Where is your room, Hisako?" Lilly presented the question as the two turned towards me.

"I'm in the next hallway over," I told them, "At least, as far as I remember." I shrugged. Lilly giggled at this, and both Hanako and I smiled. _I was being serious though..._

"Well, good night, Hisako," Lilly said, dipping her head to me, and I did the same in return. I then looked at Hanako, who caught my gaze and looked away.

"G-Goodnight," she said. She then looked up at me, and I smiled at her.

"You too, Hanako."

I then turned and started to make my way down the hallway. When I reached the end of it, I turned and looked back at where I had left the two girls, and, to my surprise, one still stood there...

It was Hanako. She seemed surprised that I had turned around, so she quickly scurried into Lilly's room. I couldn't help but giggle.

_Hanako...You're really interesting._

**To be continued...**

**Next Chapter: Festival**


	6. Chapter Five: Festival

**Two Queens**

**Act 1 – Repair**

**Chapter Five – Festival**

Over the course of the next week, my routine of meeting with Lilly and Hanako continued. Shizune and Misha didn't seem to bother me much, so I figured that they realized that I had made other friends...

That is, until Monday came, and I learned of the school festival that was coming up.

"Hicchan~," Misha said as Mutou , and I turned to her. _Wait, Hiichan? When did that start, _I thought."We need some help with preparations, could you lend us a hand for the next few days?~"

"What about the other members of the student council?" I had never asked about who the other members of the student council were, since they didn't seem to take an active role in every-day school life.

Shizune seemed to answer this one with a few signs, and Misha interpreted, "It's only us two in the student council, Hicchan~! It's a lot of work, so we really need your help!"

I tapped my desk in thought for a moment, then turned to look at the back of the classroom,where Hanako sat sunken down into her chair, a book in front of her face, obviously trying to go unnoticed.

"Sure, I just need to tell Hanako before she leaves," I told Misha as I turned back to them. She glanced over at Hanako, then gave me a kind of worried look. "What?"

"Nothing Hicchan~. We need to get to work on this assignment," Misha said, waving it off and returning to her usual grin.

Shizune seemed to wonder what was going on, Misha shot her a few quick hand signs. The bespectacled girl looked at me for a moment, then pushed up on her glasses and turned towards the assignment in front of her.

I sighed and glanced back at Hanako again. _Is there something wrong with being her friend?_

When the lunch bell rang, Mutou dismissed us. Hanako slammed her book shut and quickly shot up out of her chair, ready to move quickly out the door. However, I made my way over to her and said, "Wait, Hanako."

The girl jumped a little and turned my way. Seeing that it was me, however, she seemed to relax a bit, but she still covered her face like she usually did. "I'm going to help with the festival, for a few days, so I won't be eating lunch with you and Lilly," I told her.

Hanako nodded. "O-Okay," she said softly. With that, she turned and was out the door in an instant. _She usually leaves before the bell chimes, but I guess she was caught up in her book, _I thought with a smile.

"Hicchan!~ Let's go," Misha's voice came from behind.

"I'm coming," I told her, making my way over to the two girls who were waiting on me.

* * *

><p>For the entire lunch time, we gathered supplies for our class's booth. Since they were the student council, they had to help with every class, but we decided that it would be easier to focus on ours and get it done first.<p>

"Phew!~ Thank you Hicchan, we may have never got all of this stuff today," Misha told me as we dropped off the last load in the student council room.

_I was the one who carried the heaviest stuff, _I thought. I'm not very strong, but it seemed like Shizune and Misha were a little frail in comparison. "You're welcome," I told her, "Should we be getting back to class now?"

Shizune signed a couple of things to Misha, who returned with her own hand motions. Misha then beamed at me and said, "Shicchan and I have to do something, but you can go back if you want!~"

I nodded. "See you later then," I told them. When I walked out of the room, I almost bumped into someone, or rather, they blindly walked into me.

"Hey-" I started to say, but then I realized that it was Lilly, holding her cane slightly out in front of her, with her other hand guiding herself along the wall.

"Hisako?" She looked my way.

"O-Oh, hi Lilly," I said, blushing a bit. _I almost said something I'd regret._

"Hanako told me that you were busy with festival preparations, so I figured I might bump into you on the way here," she told me with a smile.

"Yeah, I'm kinda worn out already from it," I admitted to her, "Why did you come here though?"

Lilly's smile dropped, and she said, "I have to talk with Hakamichi about my class booth, because we may need some help, since our class is for those of us with poor eyesight."

_Oh, I see how that could be a problem, _I thought. "Well, could I help? I'm sure Misha and Shizune wouldn't mind if I help another class as well," I told Lilly.

She smiled. "That would be nice, Hisako. Thank you."

At that, I realized that I might be wasting her time. "O-Oh, I guess there's not much time left. I won't keep you," I told her.

"It's fine. Perhaps you can go get Hanako and return her to class? She might think of just heading off to the library again..." Lilly trailed off, and I nodded.

"Sure," I answered.

With that, we said goodbye, and I headed toward the tea room.

* * *

><p>When I opened the door, I came across an unusual sight. Hanako was sitting at the table, her head laying on her arms. For a moment, I wondered what was wrong...<p>

But then I realized that she was sleeping.

Her gentle breathing was the only sound that could be heard. I quietly walked up to her and hesitated for a moment, wondering if I should wake her. _This is probably why Lilly went alone, _I realized.

I reached down to try and wake Hanako, but I noticed that the light flowing in through the window seemed to illuminate her sleeping figure. I gently pushed the hair away from her face to get a better look at it, and felt a warm sensation inside of me.

_This is the Hanako that everyone should see, _I thought, running a hand gently along her face. _But even she doesn't see herself this way..._

Worried that she would wake up at that moment, I moved my hand down to her shoulder and gently pushed on her. "Hanako?"

No response. I tried again, and again, but she was completely out of it. I sighed and stood up, pushing my hair behind my ear and gazing down at the sleeping girl in front of me.

_I guess I'll let her sleep. _I started to turn and walk away, but I stopped as Hanako said softly, "Hisako..."

I looked back at her, thinking she had woken up, but she was still in the same position that she was before. "Hanako..." There was no response again. _If she's still sleeping, then...did she..._

Shaking my head, I told myself, "N-No, that can't be true..." _She must have just heard me and responded in her sleep. _

My eyes fell upon Hanako again before I could make myself turn and leave. Something felt off, like I didn't want to simply leave her there. _This is a rare opportunity...To see Hanako without her being frightened..._

I knelt down and hesitantly placed a hand atop her head, petting her gently. _I feel bad that nobody else can see you this way... That nobody else will ever see past your scars..._

Then I did something that even surprised myself.

I softly kissed Hanako atop her head.

Blushing slightly, I stood and looked behind me, nervous that someone might have seen. "I-I'm going Hanako. Come to class if you wake up," I said to Hanako, before making my way to the door.

I took one last glance back at Hanako before leaving and heading for class.

* * *

><p>The next few days were the similar; I helped Misha and Shizune with preparations for our class, as well as helping out some other classes. After school, I felt a little worn out, and I never felt better about having tea and some small talk.<p>

On Thursday, I decided to go and help Lilly's class after school. When the bell chimed, Hanako and I both headed for Class 3-2.

Once there, Lilly greeted us, and we got to meet a few other classmates of hers. Like she had said before, each of them had a problem involving their eyesight. One girl had a white patch over her left eye, and her right could barely see. Another boy had a bandage wrap that went all the way around his head, because he apparently had _no _eyes, which I felt a little bad about.

"Could you two go and help Kenji over there, please?" At the sound of his name, a boy stood and looked our way.

"Sure," I responded. Hanako and I made our way over to him, and I realized that he was staring at me intently. "U-Um...Hi?"

Kenji pushed up in his glasses and sighed, sitting back down on the floor. "You two can work on the borders of the sign. I'm doing the lettering," he told us simply, opening his marker and getting straight back to work.

_Did we do something wrong? _I shrugged, and Hanako and I sat down, beginning to work on the border. I glanced over to see what Hanako was doing, just so it would match, and I saw that she was happily drawing little squiggly patterns in green and blue. _She seems happy, either because she likes crafts, or because she's helping Lilly, _I thought with a smile.

After not too long, we finished and stood to view our work. "Man, that looks good," Kenji said with a smile, seemingly a different person than before, "I guess it's good to have girls around for this kind of stuff."

I grinned slightly and nodded in agreement. Hanako, Kenji and I moved on to help with some other things. After a couple of hours, Lilly decides to wrap things up, and everybody put the supplies up and began to leave.

"Thank you for your help today," Lilly told us as we walked over to her.

"Your welcome," Kenji said, moving past us to make his way out the door. Lilly seemed surprised by his voice, and obviously directed that towards Hanako and I, not knowing he was there.

"It's no problem," I told her.

"I-It was fun," Hanako said simply, holding her hands together in front of her chest.

Lilly smiled. "I'm glad. Now, she'll we have some tea before heading off?"

Hanako and I both nodded, and I said, "That sounds good about now."

* * *

><p>Before I knew it, Sunday came. I had slept in a little bit, and it was already almost noon, but it didn't matter too much.<p>

Outside, I could hear people buzzing, and I peered outside my window, catching a glimpse of the crowd.

_Time to go find Lilly and Hanako, I guess._ I stood and walked over to my clean uniform, putting it on and heading out of my room.

The festival had finally begun.

**To be continued...**

**Final Chapter for Act 1 – Beautiful**


	7. Chapter Six: Beautiful

_**A/N: Long chapter ahoy! Lots of good stuff happen though, believe me, so do please read it! :) **_

**Two Queens**

**Act 1 – Repair**

**Chapter Six – Beautiful**

As I stepped out of the dorm I was surprised to find a bigger crowd than I had previously expected. Many were students from the school, but there were also lots of adults amongst the crowd. At my side was a small bag that I had decided to bring to carry some of my money, knowing that not much would be free.

I decided to find our class stand, mainly to talk to Shizune and Misha. I figured that if I spoke to them now, they might not bother me later.

However, once I arrived at the stand, they were nowhere to be found. Before I turned to walk away, I saw the girl who I remembered seeing in class, especially when she ran into me, motion to me from a little ways off with her good hand.

"Hello Hisako," she told me as I approached her. I opened my mouth to greet her back, but I paused, and she must have realized why, because she outstretched her right hand to me and said, "I don't think I told you my name. I'm Miki Miura!"

I shook her hand and nodded. "I remember you at least," I said jokingly, and she gave me a nervous smile.

"I-I'm sorry about that," Miki said, rubbing the back of her head, "I'm part of the track team, so I like to run everywhere." She shrugged. "But anyways, what are you doing for the festival?"

"Well, I was about to go look for Hanako and Lilly," I said simply, not thinking that Miki might not know who I was talking about. Luckily, she seemed to light up, and she grinned.

"Oh. Well, I haven't seen Hanako around anywhere. I think I saw Lilly at 3-2's class stand over there," Miki told me, pointing past the crowd of people, although I couldn't see exactly where, "I think so at least. Is she the blonde?" She set a hand on her chin and looked away in thought.

I nodded. "Thank you. I'm going to go talk to her then," I said.

Miki grinned at me. "Alright, I won't keep you then. Good luck, Hisako," she told me, giving a slight wave at me before I turned and walked away.

Following Miki's directions, I made my way through the crowd, and eventually picked out the sign that we had worked on before. When I drew nearer, I also made out Lilly behind the stand.

The stand was easily twice as big as the others, and had more equipment as well. _They put a lot of planning into this, _I though. Some of the class seemed to be unpacking ingredients for the noodles and soup I could see being prepared, and were being directed by someone who I figured must be their teacher.

_Sniff. _The smell coming from the stand was mouth-watering. I decided to stand in the line that Lilly was running, which had only a few other people, since I didn't want to disturb her.

I watched as Lilly asked the man at the front what he would like, then turned to the girl next to her, relaying the information. The girl handed Lilly a bowl of what appeared to be noodles and some sort of leaves, and the man dipped his head to Lilly.

"Thank you," he said, and she dipped her head to him as he walked away. _I wonder if they realize she's blind, _I thought for a moment. When the next girl stepped up though, it was quite obvious that they _didn't _know, because she pointed at the menu on the side of the stand as she said what she wanted.

After a few minutes, I came to the front of the stand. I was about to greet Lilly, but the boy running the other line suddenly asked, "Hey, where's the spare change box?"

"Excuse me one moment," Lilly said to me as she reached beneath the counter and eventually pulled out a small, metal box. "Here it is," she said, and the boy came and grabbed it, dipping his head in thanks.

Lilly then turned back to me, and asked, "I'm sorry about that. What can I get you?" For a moment, I was surprised that Lilly knew that there was someone standing in front of her, then I realized that I had forgotten to actually give the menu on the side of the stand a look.

I gave it a glance, then said, "Um...Miso soup?" It came out as more of a question, so I said, "Yeah, that'd be good."

Lilly reacted instantly to my voice. "Oh, Hisako?" She smiled and turned to the girl beside her, telling her what I wanted. When she turned back to me, I could tell that she was more relaxed, dropping her waitress facade. She asked me, "Are you enjoying the festival so far?"

"I may or may not have have woken up at noon, so I haven't gotten to see all of it yet," I said, a little embarrassed. "I decided to see where you and Hanako were at first."

Lilly giggled. "Well, there's plenty of time left to see everything," she told me, and I couldn't help but smile as she did, "As for Hanako, I was wondering where she was myself..."

"You haven't seen her?" Lilly shook her head. _I guess a crowd like this wouldn't be her thing, _I thought, wondering what empty place Hanako could be residing in.

"I really wished that she might come out for the festival," Lilly said, obviously troubled by it, her smile dropping. "It's to be expected I guess..." The girl tapped Lilly's shoulder and handed her the bowl of soup, which Lilly then held out to me.

Realizing I had forgotten about the money, I quickly fumbled into my bag, pulling out the yen needed. "S-Sorry," I said, gently grabbing the bowl and then placing the money in Lilly's hand.

"Thank you, Hisako," she said, dipping her head to me. "Um...If you would, can you find Hanako for me? We're a bit busy here, and I really don't want her to have to spend the festival alone."

I nodded. "Of course, I can look for her," I answered. "Do you think you need some help here though?"

Lilly shook her head. "We just need some more students from our class," she told me, and I looked around, realizing that there really were only about ten of them helping out. "Finding Hanako would help me very much though." She smiled at me.

"Well, I'll be glad to help then," I told her. I suddenly realized that there were a few people behind me, and I must be holding up the line. "I'll come back and drop off the bowl when I'm done," I told Lilly, who nodded.

I made my way over to a nearby bench and took my first taste of the soup. It was extremely good, though it was a bit cooler than it probably should have been. As I slowly drank the soup, I looked a little deeper into the crowd.

Some of the students I noticed making their way around didn't seem very excited, which I guess is understandable, especially seeing the adults who looked much more enthusiastic about the whole thing. I felt a little bad, since I wasn't helping out, but I had only transferred a couple of weeks ago, so it can't be helped.

I let my gaze then fall upon 3-2's stand again as I finished off my soup. Everyone seemed to be relaxed and enjoying themselves, at least on the outside, but Lilly didn't seem very impressed. She seemed a little stressed, and I couldn't help but think Hanako wasn't helping with that.

When I made my way over to the stand to drop off my bowl, I called out to Lilly, "You don't need to worry about Hanako, I'll find her."

Lilly turned her head my way, and I could tell that she was a least a little relieved. "Thank you Hisako. Please tell some of my classmates to come help out, if you see them," she told me with a smile.

I nodded. "I will. Make sure to take a break every so often," I told her, grinning and waving at her before turning and walking away. I felt a little bad about leaving Lilly there, but it's nice to relieve her of her worry for Hanako, at least.

* * *

><p>Once inside, I was greeted by even more of a crowd who was meandering through the hallways for the festival. <em>If there's one thing I know about Hanako, it's that she wouldn't be near this, <em>I thought. _With students showing their families their dorms, I doubt she'd be there either._

I decided to make my way towards the library. Thankfully, the crowd inside weren't as festive as the crowds outside, so it was easier to make my way through to the library.

When I made my way inside, I was surprised by the quiet emptiness that surrounded me. Not even Yuuko seemed to be present. When I looked around, I spotted a head of dark hair over the bookshelves, and, sure enough, it was Hanako sitting at one of the desks, reading.

"I thought you'd be here," I said. Hanako jumped, and I felt a little bad about disturbing her.

"H-Hisako?" She seemed surprised to see me.

"Lilly was busy, so I came to see what you were doing for the festival," I explained. "S-Sorry for disturbing you..."

Hanako did her signature covering of the right side of her face, and said, "I-It's fine...Do you want to sit down?"

I nodded, but then my stomach suddenly growled slightly, making me blush a bit. "I guess I'm a little hungry...Do you want to get some food from the stands?"

Hanako tensed up a bit and shook her head slightly. "I-I brought some food so..."

I sighed. _It was worth a try. _"Well, should we go to the tea room and eat? It might be more comfortable, and I didn't see anyone around there," I asked.

Hanako nodded. "O-Okay," she said, closing her book gently and sliding it into her bag.

When she stood, I asked, "Ready to go?" Hanako nodded, and we set off.

* * *

><p>Hanako and I walked down the empty hallway side-by-side. The sounds of the crowds could be heard faintly, obviously far off, which seemed to help Hanako not be as tense.<p>

After a few moments, I wondered why Hanako fell behind a bit, and I realized that her pace seemed to change a bit. "Is something wrong?"

Hanako jumped slightly at my sudden outburst and stopped. "W-What? Nothings w-wrong..."

"Sorry, I just noticed that you were...tripping or something," I said, stopping as well. I didn't quite know how to explain what she was doing.

Hanako blushed and looked at the floor, twiddling with her hands. "I-It's...a game." Seeing my surprise, she continued, "T-the floor, it has different shaded t-tiles."

I gazed down at the linoleum-tiled floor, taking note of the slightly different shades. "What about them?" I made sure to add my intrigue to my voice.

"W-When nobody is around...I only s-step on the darker ones," Hanako said. She continued to speak, but her voice trailed off and I couldn't make out her further explanation.

"Oh, I see. Do you play this game a lot?" Hanako shook her head. "Only when you're alone?" She nodded. "I see...Well then, should we continue?" She nodded with a bit more enthusiasm, and we continued on.

For whatever reason, I started to play the game as we made our way down the hall. I avoided the lighter tiles, being a little over-exaggerating with it, which successfully made Hanako giggle a bit.

Arriving at the tea room, we stepped inside, and it was empty like always. I took a seat, and Hanako went to the counter to make tea, eventually setting a tea cup in front of me.

"This tastes just like Lilly's," I commented as I took a sip.

Hanako looked away and smile shyly. "L-Lilly taught me..." She arranged some sandwiches onto a plate and brought it over to the table, setting it in the center. It seemed like a normal lunch time in the tea room, except Hanako seemed...calm.

When Hanako sat down, I couldn't help but watch her smooth, open movements. I realized that she must be getting used to me. The thought made me smile.

She looked up and saw me smiling at her. "W-What is it?" She seemed to become a bit flustered.

"O-Oh, nothing...I think I know why you like this room now. It's like another world in here, apart from the rest of the school," I told her, turning my head to gaze at the sunlight outside. "I guess that doesn't make very much sense..."

I could see Hanako shake her head out of the corner of my eye. "N-No...I understand," she said. I turned and smiled at her, and she returned with her own.

* * *

><p>We sat in the tea room for the rest of the day, playing some games of chess, having small talk, and sipping at our tea until it grew cold.<p>

When night fell upon the campus, I suddenly heard popping noises from outside. "Are those...fireworks?" I could see a slight glow coming from the sky as I gazed out the window.

"Y-Yes, but I don't think we can see them here..." I turned to Hanako, noticing that she was playing with her fingers, and with each pop, she seemed to wince a little bit.

"...I'm guessing you don't like fireworks," I said. Hanako seemed like she was going to retort, but she just dropped her gaze onto the tea cup in front of her.

"I-It's just loud close up, so I haven't s-seen any in person," she told me. I could tell that it was a little embarrassing to her. _If she doesn't like crowds, then I guess loud sounds wouldn't be much better._

"Do you want to see them? You could always cover your ears, I wouldn't judge," I said, giving her a reassuring smile.

Hanako seemed reluctant as she thought over my proposal. After a minute, I figured that I shouldn't force her, so I said, "It's fine, we can stay here."

After a moment, Hanako suddenly shot up out of her chair. "L-Let's go!" Her voice was a little shakey, as though she didn't really mean what she said.

"Are you sure?" I had to ask, in case she really _didn't_ want to go. She nodded though, so I shrugged and stood. "Would the roof be a good place to go? Surely there won't be too many people there," I told her.

"T-That sounds good..."

* * *

><p>With that, Hanako and I made out way down the hallways once again. This time, it was dead silent, as most people had probably left by then, or were outside enjoying the fireworks.<p>

However, the sound of some padding feet could be heard, getting progressively louder and louder. Hanako, who seemed to be zoned out a bit, didn't notice. After a few moments, two boys who looked like they were in Middle School came around the corner ahead, seemingly racing each other. I stepped to the side to let them pass, but Hanako was oblivious to them until they were near.

The boy on the right side of the hall didn't notice Hanako either until he ran smack-dab into her, sending both of them to the ground.

"Hanako!" I couldn't help but express my worry about what happened. I knelt down beside Hanako as she sat up, seemingly a little shocked by what happened. Turning to the boy, I said, "You need to watch where you're going next time!"

"I-I'm sorry, I'm sorry!" He stood and bowed to us, clasping his hands together.

I was going to scold the kid a bit more, but Hanako suddenly said, "I-It's fine..." She sat on her knees and looked up at the boy, who smiled...

But then, a look of horror seemed to overcome him. It didn't take me long to realize why. From the fall, Hanako's hair became a bit untidy, and her scars were clearly visible. The boy covered his face, obviously not meaning to show such a vivid reaction, but it was enough.

Hanako turned her attention to the floor, and I told the boy, "Just go find your parents, and don't run so fast." He nodded and made his way past us, running to catch up with his friend.

"Hanako?" I gently set a hand on her shoulder, wondering what was going on through her mind, her face blocked by her hair that was drooping down...

And that was when she brought her hands up to her face and began to cry.

Her sobs crushed my heart. I sat there for a moment, stunned, watching some of her tears drip from her face to the floor. "It's okay..." I tried to reach up to her face, to make her look my way...

But in a surprising act of aggression, Hanako pushed my hand away from her and looked up at me, a mix of anger, frustration, and sorrow on her face.

"It's not okay!" It was the first time I had heard Hanako raise her voice. "I-I'm...I'm...This..." Hanako ran a hand along the scars on the right side of her face, sobbing some more, her tears still flowing...

_What do I do? _I didn't know what I could say to make her feel better. _The most fragile girl I've ever seen...just broke in front of me. What do I..._

I ran my hand that was clutching Hanako's shoulder down along her arm comfortingly. "Hanako," I spoke softly, and she turned away from me, "Hanako...I..."

For a moment, I had to think about what to say. I reached up and placed my hand on her cheek, turning her head towards me. She looked at me with her teary eyes...

And I told her just what I thought.

"You're beautiful."

A look of surprise came across Hanako's face. "I don't care what you look like...You're _you._ I wouldn't want you to be any different." Her sobs seemed to cease, and she blushed heavily. I brought her forward into an embrace. "It's alright...You can let it all out," I whispered to her.

Hearing that, Hanako began again. We sat there for several minutes, holding onto each other. Eventually, her crying ceased, and I moved back, smiling at her. "Do you feel a little better?"

Hanako nodded slightly. She wiped the tears from her eyes, and I slowly stood up, giving her some support as she wobbled a bit, obviously still a little shook up. I locked my arm in with hers, much as I had seen her and Lilly do before, and dusted off my skirt with my other hand.

"Should we go," I asked, "Or do you want to return to the tea room?"

Hanako sniffed and looked down at the ground. "L-Let's go." With that answer, we slowly made our way forward, our arms locked together, closer than ever before.

* * *

><p>Once we arrived at the rooftop, the sky was empty, and there were barely any sounds from the people below. <em>Is it already over? <em>I looked around worriedly, not wanting Hanako to be disappointed...

But then, the whizzing sound could be heard, and I saw several rockets fly into the air. _It must be the finale, _I thought with a smile. Seeing this, Hanako covered her right ear with her hand, then looked down and realized that our arms were still locked.

Taking the hint, I let go of her arm, and she covered her left ear. When the first firework went off, Hanako still flinched, so I moved behind her and set my hands over hers...

And we watched the assortment of colors flash above us. The only thought that flashed through my head, was:

_I wouldn't want to be anywhere else in this moment._

**~End of Act 1~**

**Next Act: Act 2 – Past**

**Next Chapter: Act 2 Prologue: Normal**


	8. Act 2 Prologue: Normal

**Two Queens**

**Hey everyone!~ Thanks for supporting this Fic, it really helps me want to actually continue it. There is lots more to come, but I hope you'll continue reading!**

**Act 2 Prologue – Normal**

With the festival over, life at Yamaku returned to normal.

Shizune and Misha started to pester me over joining the Student Council, saying that it was much easier with my help. I turned them down, partially because it'd take up my free time, but also because I wouldn't be able to hang out with Hanako and Lilly.

Mutou continued his lessons, like usual, and they seemed to becoming more boring as they came, though Misha's outbursts sometimes helped brighten it up a bit.

Hanako and I had the same relationship we had had before...Though, there seemed to be one thing that had changed.

On that Monday after the Festival, the bell chimed to signal the end of the school day.

"Make sure you look over page fifty-even of your textbooks," Mutou told us all. A few students responded, but most just packed up and got ready to leave.

When I looked back to Hanako's desk, she was gone, which wasn't a surprise. _She probably headed for the tea room already, _I thought, getting my things together and standing.

After escaping Misha and Shizune, I exited the classroom...And, to my right, a lone figure stood there, looking at the floor.

"Hanako?" I couldn't help but be surprised to see her standing there. When she heard my voice, she jumped and gave me a scared look, but, once she saw that it was me, Hanako instantly calmed down.

"I-I wanted to w-wait on you..." She twiddled with her fingers for a moment, her eyes looking around at the crowds of students passing by.

I smiled at her. "Sorry to keep you waiting then," I told her. She returned with a small smile and moved to my side, holding onto my arm and staying close to me as we made our way down the hall...

There was something different about Hanako. She trusted me, and it gave me a sense of accomplishment...

And I wondered just how far her trust could go.

**Act 2 - Trust  
><strong>


End file.
